TEXAS COAST SPOTS · FREEPORT & SURFSIDE
Freeport & Surfside fishing spots
13 verified locations · tide station Freeport Harbor (8772471) · library verified 2026-08-14
13 source-verified places to fish around Freeport — 3 offshore, 2 jettys, 2 surf, 2 boat ramps. The bite here is led by Speckled Trout, Red Drum, Southern Flounder and Black Drum, and every entry below carries its access rules, best conditions, and the sources it was verified against.
Live bite scores for Freeport & Surfside → · What's in season →
Quintana Jetty (Freeport West Jetty)
Jetty · MAP ↗
When it fishes: Light wind and green tide-driven water in the channel; last of the incoming tide is prime. The fall flounder run along the channel side can be excellent.
Access: Granite jetty on the Quintana (west) side of the Freeport Harbor entrance, at the east end of Quintana beach. Reach it through Quintana Beach County Park (day use 8am-dusk, $5/vehicle summer parking) or the town beachfront; the jetty itself is open, unfenced rock. Town hall 979-233-0848.
- Work the channel side with soft plastics or live shrimp under a popping cork.
- Sheepshead hold tight to the granite - fiddler crabs or shrimp fished vertically.
- Walk out early on summer weekends; the rocks near the base fish best on incoming tide.
⚠ Uneven granite gets very slick - cleats or lugged boots, and never turn your back on swell. Ship wakes from the channel wash the lower rocks.
Surfside Jetty County Park
Jetty · MAP ↗
Red DrumSpeckled TroutSouthern FlounderSheepsheadSpanish MackerelFlorida PompanoSouthern KingfishGafftopsail CatfishBlacktip Shark
When it fishes: Spring-fall for mackerel, trout and sharks along the jetty; pompano and whiting in the surf, best on clean 'green' water and moving tide. Fall bull reds and flounder near the ship-channel mouth.
Access: Surfside Jetty County Park (101 Parkview Rd, Surfside/Freeport), Brazoria County. Open, day-use 8am-dusk; no listed admission fee; paved parking, restrooms, ~0.6-mi paved jetty walkway. Day/night fishing along the jetty and Freeport ship channel. Adjacent surf beach. License required.
- Work the Freeport ship-channel side of the jetty for reds, drum and sheepshead; gold spoons for mackerel at the tip.
- Surf side: fresh shrimp/Fishbites on a double-drop rig for pompano and whiting in the first/second gut.
- The paved jetty walkway makes it more accessible than Galveston's rock jetties.
⚠ Slick jetty granite and channel current; check that the jetty walkway isn't closed for weather/repairs. Rip currents in the surf.
Sources: [1]
Quintana Beach County Park Pier
Pier · MAP ↗
When it fishes: Incoming tide around dawn or dusk; calm to light onshore wind with green water close to the beach. The lights make it a productive summer night spot.
Access: 330 5th St, Quintana (Brazoria County); day use 8am-dusk; $5/vehicle parking Memorial Day-Labor Day, free rest of year; office 979-233-1461. Lighted pier at the west end of the beach, rebuilt/extended in a $2.8M renovation begun 2024. Paved parking, restrooms, showers.
- Fish the lights at night in summer for trout.
- Fresh dead shrimp or cut mullet on bottom rigs covers drum, whiting and redfish.
- Overnight campers are exempt from the summer day-use parking fee.
⚠ No glass containers ($500 fine). Watch footing on wet decking; keep casts clear of the crowd under the lights.
San Luis Pass County Park (Follet's Island)
Pass · MAP ↗
Red DrumSpeckled TroutSouthern FlounderBlack DrumSheepsheadSouthern KingfishSpanish MackerelJack CrevalleGafftopsail Catfish
When it fishes: Strong tidal flow through San Luis Pass makes it a year-round producer. Best on a moving tide (incoming or outgoing), especially the last of the outgoing for trout and reds staging in the guts. Late summer/fall for bull reds, sharks, and tarpon; spring/summer for trout and Spanish mackerel. Clearer water and lighter wind improve the bite.
Access: Shore, bank/wade (outside the restricted zone), and boat. Brazoria County park on the Follet's Island (west/mainland) side of San Luis Pass, at the foot of the San Luis Pass bridge off Bluewater Highway/CR 257. Boat launch on site; paved RV sites, cabins, pavilion, fish-cleaning stations, restrooms, paved parking. Office 8am-5pm, closed Mondays (979-233-6026). Camping fees due at registration (call for current rates); military/disabled-veteran discounts available. Bank/surf and boat fishing permitted; the pass channel itself is a restricted-waters area.
- Fish the deep guts and current seams near the pass on a moving tide with live/cut bait for bull reds, black drum, and sharks.
- Free-line live shrimp or croaker along the drop-offs for speckled trout; work the sandbars and cuts for flounder in fall.
- Use enough weight to hold bottom - current through the pass is very strong.
- Camp on site to fish the prime early-morning and tide windows without a long drive.
⚠ San Luis Pass is one of the most dangerous stretches of water on the Texas coast - swimming/wading/entering the water in the marked restricted area is illegal (a fineable offense) due to lethal rip and tidal currents and sudden drop-offs. Never wade into the channel. Strong currents even for boaters. Shuffle for stingrays; sharks common. Sun/heat.
Sources: [1]
Bryan Beach (Freeport)
Surf · MAP ↗
When it fishes: Light offshore or SE wind with clear green surf; first two guts on incoming tide. The fall mullet run brings bull reds within casting range.
Access: Undeveloped city-owned beach (~3 miles) about 4 miles south of Freeport via FM 1495, then the beach road to the sand. Free - no entrance fee or permit; drive-on beach with primitive camping allowed. No water, restrooms or services. City of Freeport 979-233-3526.
- Sand is soft in stretches - 4WD strongly recommended; vehicles get stuck here regularly.
- Long rods and fish-finder rigs with cut mullet cover the second gut for reds.
- The west end toward the Brazos mouth adds brackish-edge action.
⚠ Remote: no lifeguards, no facilities, spotty cell coverage - bring water, a shovel and traction boards. Rip currents in the guts; avoid swimming near the river mouth.
Follet's Island / Blue Water Highway Surf
Surf · MAP ↗
Red DrumSpeckled TroutSouthern FlounderBlack DrumSheepsheadSouthern KingfishSpanish MackerelJack CrevalleGafftopsail Catfish
When it fishes: Classic Texas drive-on surf fishery. Best with a light SE wind and green, clean water on an incoming/moving tide, early morning or evening. Spring-fall for pompano, whiting, trout, and Spanish mackerel; summer into fall for bull reds and sharks (peak shark season late spring-fall). Flat, calm surf lets you reach the second and third guts.
Access: Shore, wade, and drive-on. ~13-mile undeveloped public Gulf beachfront along Bluewater Highway/CR 257 on Follet's Island, between San Luis Pass and Surfside Beach in Brazoria County. Free - no fee or permit to visit or camp. Numbered public beach access points; drive directly onto the sand (street-legal vehicles only). Primitive camping allowed (max 14 consecutive days); portable toilets at some access points April-September. No glass, protected dunes off-limits, leashed pets. Bring your own everything - few services.
- Read the beach and fish the guts and sandbar cuts - cast fresh dead shrimp or Fishbites for pompano and whiting in the first two guts.
- For bull reds and sharks, kayak or long-cast cut bait (mullet/menhaden) past the breakers on a heavy bottom rig.
- Drive to less-crowded access points deeper into Follet's Island for undisturbed water, but carry a tire gauge/shovel - soft sand strands vehicles.
- Throw spoons or plugs for Spanish mackerel and jacks when they push bait to the beach on calm summer mornings.
⚠ Longshore and rip currents, especially near San Luis Pass at the island's east end - do not wade toward the pass. Shuffle feet for stingrays. Sharks are actively targeted here; handle with care. Soft sand - air down and don't park below the high-tide line. Remote stretches have no cell service, lifeguards, or water; check TexasBeachWatch for bacteria advisories.
George Vancouver Reef (nearshore)
Nearshore
When it fishes: Spring to fall; a good option on days too rough for the deep banks; snapper during the season.
Access: Boat only. ~6 mi offshore of Freeport in ~55 ft. Concrete pyramids plus concrete culverts (a TPWD nearshore reef site).
- Short run - good for smaller boats.
- Drop on the pyramid clusters; troll around them for kings.
- Use TPWD's interactive reef map for exact pyramid GPS.
⚠ Nearshore but still open Gulf; watch weather and boat traffic. State-water reef, so state seasons/limits apply.
Sources: [1]
EB-159 Deepwater Reef (East Breaks)
Offshore · MAP ↗
Yellowfin TunaBlackfin TunaWahooMahi-MahiSwordfishTilefish
When it fishes: When blue water and bait push over the East Breaks shelf edge, typically late spring through fall; current lines and rips near the structure concentrate pelagics.
Access: TPWD 83-acre deepwater rigs-to-reef site in East Breaks Block 159, about 74 miles from Freeport in roughly 925 ft of water on the shelf edge, with sister site EB-160 two miles east. This is tuna and deep-drop country for Freeport's long-range charter fleet rather than a snapper stop.
- Treat it as pelagic structure — troll, chunk or jig the water column over the reef rather than bottom fishing 900-plus feet.
- Combine with daytime swordfish or tilefish deep-drops along the adjacent East Breaks contours.
- Highly migratory species (tuna/swordfish) require an NMFS HMS Angling permit on the vessel.
⚠ True canyon-edge trip 70-plus miles out — overnight-capable boat, offshore life raft and satellite comms are standard practice for the East Breaks run.
Freeport Liberty Ship Reef
Offshore · MAP ↗
When it fishes: Late spring to fall; red snapper during the federal season; calm water improves drop-fishing.
Access: Boat only. 36 nm on a 122 bearing from the Freeport jetties. Bottom ~100 ft; wreck decks ~70-80 ft. Includes the Liberty ships William F. Allen and B.F. Shaw plus barges.
- Mark the wreck tops and drop bait/jigs - structure sits vertically off the deck.
- Amberjack hold high in the column, snapper lower.
- Live-boat or anchor carefully around structure; strong current is common.
⚠ ~40 mi offshore - weather window, offshore comms/safety gear, and awareness of wreck snags and current.
Sources: [1]
GA-A-125 Reef
Offshore · MAP ↗
When it fishes: Multi-day calm forecasts May-September; blue water frequently pushes over the site in summer, adding wahoo and blackfin around the reefed jackets.
Access: TPWD 40-acre rigs-to-reef site in Galveston Area Block A-125, about 50 miles out of Freeport in 166 ft of water. A classic full-day snapper-rig run for Freeport and Surfside charter boats working beyond the Liberty Ship; federal Gulf reef-fish rules and seasons apply.
- Reefed platform jackets rise well off bottom in 166 ft — jig the mid-column for amberjack before dropping baits to the snapper below.
- Amberjack and triggerfish have their own tight federal seasons — check current Gulf regulations before the trip.
- High-speed troll to and from the site; kings and wahoo track the structure edges.
⚠ 50-mile federal-waters run crossing shipping fairways out of Galveston/Freeport — AIS, EPIRB and a solid weather window are essential; seas build quickly on the open shelf.
Surfside Marina
Marina · MAP ↗
When it fishes: Protected ICW water fishable in almost any wind; moving tide around dock and bulkhead structure. The best staging point in the region for short Gulf weather windows.
Access: 827 Gulf Rd, Surfside Beach, on the ICW about 5 minutes from the Gulf via Freeport Harbor; 979-230-9400. Full-service and open to the public: fuel, ice and bait 24/7; ship store daily; launch, 340 dry-stack and 52 wet slips, service center, restrooms/showers.
- 24-hour fuel/bait/ice makes it the pre-dawn launch of choice for jetty and nearshore runs.
- Live shrimp from the bait shop covers everything from sheepshead to trout.
- Call ahead on tournament weekends - launch traffic spikes.
⚠ Busy commercial and sportfishing traffic on the ICW - idle zones enforced near the docks.
Freeport Municipal Park Ramp (Old Brazos River)
Boat ramp · MAP ↗
When it fishes: The Old Brazos is protected water - fishable when the Gulf is blown out. Moving tide along riverfront structure; winter trout stack in the deep river channel.
Access: 733 Mystery Harbor Ln, Freeport - lighted public concrete ramp in the Municipal Park complex on the Old Brazos River, a short protected run to Freeport Harbor and the Gulf. Paved parking; no launch fee published. Bank fishing along the riverfront nearby. Parks dept 979-233-3526.
- Shortest protected route to the jetties and nearshore Gulf in the area.
- Riverfront bulkheads and lighted piers hold trout at night.
- Arrive early on summer weekends - parking fills with offshore traffic.
⚠ Heavy commercial and shrimp-boat traffic in Freeport Harbor - stay right and watch wakes. Strong ramp current on big tide swings.
Seidler's Ramp - Christmas Bay
Boat ramp · MAP ↗
When it fishes: Light-wind mornings; Christmas Bay is shallow seagrass with firm, wadeable bottom. Incoming tide over the grass and oyster is prime.
Access: End of Amigo Ln off Bluewater Hwy (CR 257), Freeport - county-listed public shell ramp into Christmas Bay; unpaved parking; best for kayaks and small skiffs. Free, open 24 hours; no camping or fires. The old Ernie's Too bait camp here is closed - bring everything. TPWD Christmas Bay Paddling Trail access point.
- Ideal kayak/wade launch - the TPWD paddling trail loops start here.
- Drift or wade the grass edges with soft plastics or shrimp under a cork.
- No bait camp anymore - closest supplies are back toward Surfside.
⚠ Oyster reef and stingrays - wading boots and the shuffle. Afternoon SE wind builds fast; be off the open bay by midday in small craft. Shell ramp is tricky at low tide.
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